So my friend from Colorado has been taking me to the gym and i have a huge interest in this sport. i climb every week in the gym. Im in the military and currently stationed in Jacksonville Fl so pretty much no out doors climbing available and I'm getting sent to Washington state from what i hear is climbing heaven. Issue is i want to learn and i joined the website so i can read up maybe get some climbing buddies. I started reading in the newbie section and everyone is hostile and newbie head hunters. i want to do this right and i would really appreciate some salty advice and information thanks.

So my friend from Colorado has been taking me to the gym and i have a huge interest in this sport. i climb every week in the gym. Im in the military and currently stationed in Jacksonville Fl so pretty much no out doors climbing available and I'm getting sent to Washington state from what i hear is climbing heaven. Issue is i want to learn and i joined the website so i can read up maybe get some climbing buddies. I started reading in the newbie section and everyone is hostile and newbie head hunters. i want to do this right and i would really appreciate some salty advice and information thanks.

Right on man!

Gets some books. Freedom of the Hills, John Longs Anchors, some How To books... Read each a hundred times.

Then move as soon as possible to the West coast...

I started in San Francisco with no car. Spent most of my time reading, at the gym, and climbing shitty little rocks... now I live in the hills and climb all the time...

everything slk said and dont let not finding a partner off the net or when you do find a partner (that flakes out) hold you back. Get out to where the rocks and climbers are and make friends with them. You will more likely than not find people who climb outdoors all the time. The more you get out there the more people you'll meet who share this passion. Good luck! I will have a post later today or tomorrow look for it as inspiration...to be continued

I started reading in the newbie section and everyone is hostile and newbie head hunters. i want to do this right and i would really appreciate some salty advice and information thanks.

Sorry about the bad first impression-- we try to keep an eye on things but sometimes threads go sideways before we can catch 'em. ;)

slk gives some good advice on the books. Join a gym when you can (there are some great ones in the Seattle area, assuming you'll be over there) and just get as much time climbing as you possibly can. Soak up knowledge from more experienced climbers, ask questions, don't worry about how quickly or slowly you're progressing through the grades, and keep at it and you'll be on your way before you know it.

I would say just post looking for a partner with experience, and hopefully you will find someone good. Of course, you will have to make the judgement to see if the person knows what they are talking about or not. To that end, it helps if you know someone in common (friend of a friend) or if you have at least read enough to know if the person is full of BS or if they know what they are talking about.

(Of course, if someone does something differently than "textbook," it does not mean they don't know what they are doing... they should just know why they are doing it differently and why that is safe...)

Oh, and shameless plug, I'm selling the books "Rock Climbing A Trailside Guide" on another thread which has all the basics and then some.. and "Advanced Rock Climbing" by Long/Leubben... Both of those are good starter books...

dont let not finding a partner off the net or when you do find a partner (that flakes out) hold you back. Get out to where the rocks and climbers are and make friends with them. You will more likely than not find people who climb outdoors all the time. The more you get out there the more people you'll meet who share this passion.

werd +1

julius wrote "(Of course, if someone does something differently than "textbook," it does not mean they don't know what they are doing... they should just know why they are doing it differently and why that is safe..."

exactly, my advice was more for his "no rock" part of the journey... f- the gym once you're by the rock...

One piece of advice that you don't really think about being new, and no books really tell you is to watch out for injury. When you first get into climbing, you have (at least I did) a perpetual craving for it.

When I started, I climbed in a gym for 4 days a week, 3 to 4 hours a session until I couldn't lift my arms or make a fist. I ended up getting tendinosis really bad and it sidelined me for almost 4 months. I'm lucky I didn't do more damage and that I was able to rehabilitate it in such a relatively short time.

Seeing guys crank on hard routes is awesome- especially when you didn't have any idea that such a thing existed. Realize though, that it will probably be at least a couple of years before your tendons and muscles and mind are anywhere near being able to do that.

Learn what the fundamentals are and focus on them until you can employ them almost without thinking. Enjoy your progression, and don't rush it. Listen to your body's pain receptors. Have fun!

Like others have said reading some books and trying to get out with some people who know what their doing is a good way to get started. After you know some basic techniques getting a Grigri or minitraxion and learning how to set up a solo toprope can get you through those days where partners are hard to come by, and as a plus I've climbed with some cool people who let me tag along after seeing me heading to the crags by myself with a rope and no partner.

thank you everyone! this has been a great help could you guys give me advice kinda on gear like i have a harness already its nothing fancy just like a 50 bucks one i wanted to get shoes too but i was pretty much going to just stop there until i get more advance. Oh and i will totally buy your books dude ill look at them right now. also ways to like prepare my body just like little things not so much diet or anything. also im based out of whidbey island like one hour from Canada and Seattle

thank you everyone! this has been a great help could you guys give me advice kinda on gear like i have a harness already its nothing fancy just like a 50 bucks one i wanted to get shoes too but i was pretty much going to just stop there until i get more advance. Oh and i will totally buy your books dude ill look at them right now. also ways to like prepare my body just like little things not so much diet or anything. also im based out of whidbey island like one hour from Canada and Seattle

Aharon, I'll send you a few books for free if you promise to pass them on afterwards... including how to climb 5.12... that book is too much work... I prefer beer...

If you are looking for some shoes, look on craigslist, and I am sure you will find some in your area. Don't be afraid to try them on and wear them for a few minutes to make sure they will work.

The next thing you will need is a belay device. The grigri and ATC are the most popular. Try them both in the gym and ask people who favor one or the other and why. One of them will feel better, and just listen to that. That's what is so cool about climbing, you can challenge yourself and its all about how far you want to take it.

Hopefully you can find a package deal on some used gear, and maybe even pick up a climbing pad.

One piece of advice that you don't really think about being new, and no books really tell you is to watch out for injury. When you first get into climbing, you have (at least I did) a perpetual craving for it. When I started, I climbed in a gym for 4 days a week, 3 to 4 hours a session until I couldn't lift my arms or make a fist. I ended up getting tendinosis really bad and it sidelined me for almost 4 months. I'm lucky I didn't do more damage and that I was able to rehabilitate it in such a relatively short time. Seeing guys crank on hard routes is awesome- especially when you didn't have any idea that such a thing existed. Realize though, that it will probably be at least a couple of years before your tendons and muscles and mind are anywhere near being able to do that. Learn what the fundamentals are and focus on them until you can employ them almost without thinking. Enjoy your progression, and don't rush it. Listen to your body's pain receptors. Have fun!

Some of the best advice I've ever heard about climbing. That's awesome.

One piece of advice that you don't really think about being new, and no books really tell you is to watch out for injury. When you first get into climbing, you have (at least I did) a perpetual craving for it. When I started, I climbed in a gym for 4 days a week, 3 to 4 hours a session until I couldn't lift my arms or make a fist. I ended up getting tendinosis really bad and it sidelined me for almost 4 months. I'm lucky I didn't do more damage and that I was able to rehabilitate it in such a relatively short time. Seeing guys crank on hard routes is awesome- especially when you didn't have any idea that such a thing existed. Realize though, that it will probably be at least a couple of years before your tendons and muscles and mind are anywhere near being able to do that. Learn what the fundamentals are and focus on them until you can employ them almost without thinking. Enjoy your progression, and don't rush it. Listen to your body's pain receptors. Have fun!

thank you everyone! this has been a great help could you guys give me advice kinda on gear like i have a harness already its nothing fancy just like a 50 bucks one i wanted to get shoes too but i was pretty much going to just stop there until i get more advance. Oh and i will totally buy your books dude ill look at them right now. also ways to like prepare my body just like little things not so much diet or anything. also im based out of whidbey island like one hour from Canada and Seattle

Get a belay device like a Petzl Reverso or a Black Diamond ATC, get an HMS (large basket locking biner) like a BD Rocklock or Petzl Attache, and get a chalk bag.

Don't get drawn in by the gimmicky magnetized auto locking blah blah gear. Learn to rely on the basics first.

Depending on what size shoe you are, I have an old pair of Scarpa Technos I can send you. If you have Flintstone feet though, forget those shoes. They're for narrow, low volume feet. Roughly size 12.

Don't worry about any sport-specific finger or tendon/forearm strengthening exercises for a while. Just climb and focus on technique and footwork. It will start making sense sooner or later. Be careful out there, and beware the know-it-all sketchballs. You can identify them by their knee socks, bandanas, Figure 8 belay devices and endless stories of how bad ass they were 20 years ago when climbers were climbers.

I think a class from a gym or guide service could be really useful and worth the money. It would set you up with a good set of base skills to keep you safe. There are a lot of climbers out there who will seem like they know a lot and may have been climbing a long time but employ less than ideal rope handling and safety practices.

I had great luck with meetup.com . The town I live in doesn't have a very large climbing community and they are kind of "cliquish". Joining meet up groups in Spgs, Denver and Boulder alowed me to climb all last summer every weekend and some weekdays. I even went on a camping/climbing trip to the Voo. Most climbers are pretty cool. Let them know your experience level. These groups are kind of targeted for the beginners. I've met some good people and made quite a few friends. Good luck and remember WERE ALL GONNA DIE, live every day as if it was your last. No regrets! EDIT: a quick search turned up this meetup.com/rockclimbing-64/ ---and this --- meetup.com/rockclimbing-64/eve... ---- This event is 90$ and is sponsored by a local guide service that is licensed and insured. A course like this would be a GREAT way to start!

haha yeah jake im a sailor chicks dig the dixie cup man i wear a 44 euro size anywhere near that. ok cool thanks slk i cant wait to start reading and so i mean is winter climbing even worth it or is it just straight miserable haha im from arizona and cold is kinda a new gig. i ve been using a atc belay device there are a couple of devices i ve been looking at and i see the auto one but some of them i just dont get whats different or how to use them. thought about a finger board later on but i was thinking more like just like one of things you work in a circle and a ball spins in the middle to work out your hands and forearms

i ve been using a atc belay device there are a couple of devices i ve been looking at and i see the auto one but some of them i just dont get whats different or how to use them. thought about a finger board later on but i was thinking more like just like one of things you work in a circle and a ball spins in the middle to work out your hands and forearms

An ATC is a perfectly good belay device. If by "auto one" you mean a Gri-Gri, they can be nice for sport or gym climbing , but for multi-pitch climbing they have the drawback that you can't rappel two strands with them.

The Power-Ball is good for a forearm workout after you learn to keep the ball in the middle spinning. Something you can carry around all day and use when you have time is nice.

The good thing about a fingerboard/hangboard or the Metolius Rock Rings is that you can work your core muscles along with your arms, by doing leg lifts and stuff.